Recalled peanut butter products to return to stores in a few weeks

Peanut butter products that were recalled after a salmonella outbreak will probably be back in supermarket aisles within a few weeks, said Michael Norton, director of communications for the Hannaford supermarket chain. “It’ll be a little while longer before those products are back,” he said. “But it will be weeks, rather than days.”

So far, the outbreak is responsible for seven deaths and 491 infection cases in 43 states. At least 388 products – from crackers to cookie dough, nutrition bars and dog biscuits – have been recalled nationwide, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

At Hannaford stores, most affected products have been off the shelves since the recall was first issued on Jan. 15, Norton said. “We are watching very closely for any new additions to the (FDA) list that we carry,” Norton said.

The chain recalled 38 products, including 12 different sizes and flavors of Austin-brand crackers. “It’s conceivable that there are Massachusetts stores that never carried these products,” Norton said.

The Shaw’s chain, headquartered in West Bridgewater, has removed more products than were recalled from shelves as a precautionary measure, Shaw’s public affairs manager Dina Piran said.